Brother, Take Me Home
by Alice Evangeline Bae Gracey
Summary: Pre-story #1 to an upcoming story. Mickey is just walking home from work when every plan he had been making for the night comes crashing down at one heartbreaking sight - his brother sitting on the streets, looking tired, sick, and hungry. Rated T for the ending, which links to the upcoming story coming this October.
1. In Which The Story Happens

**Brother, Take Me Home**

* * *

Mickey always loved walking home during chilly nights. It made the warmth that his house brought that more enjoyable, as well as the loving greeting he would get from his dog, Pluto. It made that warm cup of hot cocoa completely worth it, as he sat down in his reading chair wearing a sweater and his slippers, getting ready to read that book that he wanted to read all morning. He couldn't wait to settle down and relax after the long day of filing papers for Toon Town's sheriff/detective, Horace Horsecollar.

Of course, Mickey didn't know what tonight was going to bring, as he walked home at around 5:30 pm. He didn't know that something was about to happen that would change his plans for tonight sharply.

He found his brother sitting at a street corner, huddled up, leaning against a wall. His brother had a tired, depressed look on his face, and he sniffled. As Mickey approached, he found that Oswald had noticeably lost some weight, enough to make his clothes look baggy and over-sized, and there appeared to be a slight hint of perspiration on his face, making him appear sweaty. A rise of panic rose in Mickey's heart at the painful sight.

What happened? Why was his brother sitting here, looking sick, worn and hungry? Where was Fanny Cottontail?

His heart beating fast from the panic, he approached more cautiously, before sitting down next to Oswald and finally letting out a breath. The rabbit slowly turned his head toward the mouse, and gave a weak, gruff grunt.

"Uh... Uh, hey, Oswald..." Mickey started somewhat awkwardly. "Um... What are you doing out here...?"

"Got kicked out," was the rabbit's short reply.

"Wh-what...? How...? And... and when...?!" Mickey's head was racing at the information. He hadn't even known! Why hadn't Oswald ever told him?

The rabbit was quiet for a moment; a bit longer than Mickey would have liked, as he watched his brother count off his fingers. "... I don't know, a week and half, maybe two weeks ago...? We'd been... been having issues for a while, now... I just thought it'd blow over. Guess I was wrong."

A moment of silence surrounded the two of them as Mickey glanced over his brother worriedly, taking in everything. His brother was cold, and his hands were shivering, as were his lower arms, his shoulders, and his legs. His brother had used to be a bit overweight, but now he had lost half the gut that he used to have, his clothes appearing loose on him now. The suspicions that he hadn't been eating were then confirmed when a loud, forceful grumble came from his stomach. Mickey's ears trained on Oswald's breathing, which was slightly laboured.

"Oswald..." Mickey finally said, his voice breaking slightly. "... Oswald, I... I'm sorry I didn't know..."

"It's my fault, anyway. Fanny said it's always my fault," Oswald grunted with a dark chuckle. "So this one's my fault, too. I didn't tell you we were having problems, and look where that got me. Sick and starving, wasting away here." The rabbit paused, before he gained a sick grin. "Just my luck."

Mickey sighed, looking down at the cement. He overheard Oswald's stomach again. "Then you sure are lucky that I found you..."

"... Hmm?"

Here, the mouse stood up, a kind smile on his face as he held out a hand toward his brother. "Come on, I'll take you out for some fries. You can explain everything in the restaurant."

To his delight, his brother smiled gratefully at him, taking his hand with a weak grip. Once Mickey helped Oswald back to his feet, he supported him to the nearest restaurant that served fries, and then sat him down. The rabbit earned a few odd looks from passerby that saw him as a useless homeless rabbit, which both brothers took notice of, Oswald's being upset and insecure, Mickey's being protective and disappointed. After he purchased a package of fries, a pop for himself, and a milk for his brother, they reunited at the table and Oswald began.

"... So, Fanny and I had been falling out of love for a while," he explained, picking at his fries. He had a painfully hungry look on his face as he regarded them. "She just... I think she was falling in love with someone else at the same time and wanted me gone. It didn't take long for her to nitpick at something before she finally just kicked me out the door, and I found myself living out there..."

"What'd you do...?" Mickey asked, taking a sip of his cherry coke.

"I just wandered..." Oswald replied, wincing as his stomach protested his waiting in eating the food before him. "I didn't think bothering you or Amelia would be a good idea..."

"I... I wouldn't have minded," was the mouse's reply, laughing a little. "You're my... You're my brother, after all."

"I know, but I just..." Here, his stomach growled again and he gave in, chomping on a fry hungrily. "I just... I didn't want to be a burden..."

"Oswald!" Mickey chided, shaking a finger at him. His brother flinched at the tone, and the mouse remembered their mother using the same one whenever he got in trouble during their childhood. "You could never be... be a burden, even if... even if you try! ... Now go on, eat the fries, okay?"

Mickey watched as the rabbit happily obliged, chowing down on the fries instantly, eating somewhat slowly but rather ravenously at the same time. It pained him to see his brother like this, and so, in that moment, he made a split second decision of where they were going next. They were going home, together, to sit down in the couch in front of the fireplace, drinking hot cocoa. His brother was going home with him, no questions asked, no opportunity for protest. He wasn't going to let his big brother stay on the streets like this, not anymore.

So, that was because, once Oswald was done, Mickey quickly threw out the packaging and the cups, and then smiled at his brother. "So, uh, I've been thinking..."

"Mick, don't you know that's dangerous...?" the rabbit swiftly quipped, digging through his pockets.

The mouse laughed at that. Slowly, but surely, his brother was coming back. "Well, I suppose so, to you... but anyway, what I was thinking..."

Oswald, as Mickey soon realized, wasn't paying attention. Instead, he pulled out his wallet. Mickey watched in confusion as his brother opened it and peered inside, a moth slowly flying out of it. Oswald then pulled a single dollar bill and held it out toward Mickey, saying, "... For the fries. I can't pay the whole amount, this is all I got... Fanny cleaned me out."

Mickey just pushed the money back toward his brother. "Don't worry about it. My treat. But, gosh, Oswald, why didn't you come to me, if you were in this much trouble?"

Oswald shrugged. He didn't say anything in reply.

"Well, anyway, I'm not giving you a choice anymore, so you're coming home with me. Come on..."

With that, Mickey once again supported his brother along a short walk. Together, the two walked home and were greeted by Pluto, who was super excited to see Oswald visiting, clearly not understanding what had happened. After the rabbit suffered a bout of sickness, Mickey prepared the spare room as quickly as he could, making sure that everything was in order. After that, he helped his brother through his trouble of keeping down his small meal, and he led Oswald to the now prepared bed, laid his brother down to rest, then wandered away to the living room, feeling exhausted and upset.

He then glanced at the phone.

* * *

"_Please tell me you're making this up._"

"... I wish I was, Amelia, but, um... but I'm not."

As soon as he was sure that Oswald was asleep, Mickey had called their older sister, Amelia. She was a mouse, just like Mickey, and lived with her husband and twin sons on the other side of town. As Mickey soon realized, her protective "older sister" streak didn't take too long to come out as soon as he told her about what had happened between Oswald and Fanny.

"_I knew there was a reason I didn't like her... Drive him over here, I'll take care of him, Mickey,_" Amelia ordered. Her voice was stern, yet soft, much like their mother's would get when she was trying to teach them right from wrong. "_How bad is he? Is he sick?_"

"Well, he has the flu, um, I think... he had, um... had trouble keeping down the fries I got him, but, uh... he managed to do it... and he lost quite a bit of weight..." Mickey began, twirling the phone cord. A feeling rose inside of him as he registered her former words. Send Oswald to her? This was going to be his job. He wanted Oswald with him. Amelia would coddle him and let him sit in his misery, lay in bed and just think about all that had happened as she catered to him. Mickey was pretty sure distractions were what he needed, not being coddled. "... But... But I, uh... I, uh, think... I think it's best that he... that he stays here, with me."

"_Mickey, don't be ridiculous. I can handle it! I'm older, and wiser, and you're the baby of the family,_" Amelia argued. Mickey winced at the 'baby' remark. It was something that Amelia and Oswald teased him about endlessly when they were children. Oswald had grown out of it. Amelia had not. "_I'm more competent than you, and you're not capable of taking care of him. I've known him longer. I know him better._"

"I can so handle it!" Mickey barked into the phone. Pluto whined at the volume and barked in reply. "I mean, uh... Look at Pluto! And I babysit your sons all the time...!"

"_You can't handle, it Mickey. I'm the oldest, and me, and only me, can take care of the family when in need,_" Amelia replied. Her voice was getting more stern than soft now, more like their father's had used to get. He could hear Morty and Ferdie in the background, asking her what was wrong.

"I'm responsible, too, Amelia, and that's my big brother sleeping in the spare room, that I got fries for and practically had to carry home," Mickey began to say, his usual stutter disappearing for a moment. "Not everything can fall on you, you know!"

At this point, he hadn't realized that his yelling had escalated. He didn't realize that he had gotten up from his chair and began to pace around the room from the frustration of arguing with Amelia Fieldmouse. He didn't notice the spare room door had opened at all.

"_Yes, but... But I feel guilty for what happened, Mickey..._"

"Guilty...?!" At this, all anger Mickey felt was gone. How could Amelia possibly feel guilty for what had happened between Oswald and Fanny? Him and her had absolutely nothing to do with it. Was she feeling guilty because she hadn't seen the signs, just like him? "Why...? I, uh, I mean, um... We had nothing to do with it, Amelia..."

At this, the phone was suddenly stripped from his hands, and Oswald was standing there with it against one of his long ears. "Ammie, why are you arguing with Mick...?"

A pause as Oswald listened to words Mickey couldn't hear.

"It's none of your business if he wants me to stay here or not. I don't want to go to your place. Your place is kind of full."

Another pause.

"Amelia, stay out of it. I'll be alright in Mickey's hands."

Once again.

Oswald didn't even bother to reply. He hung up. Mickey glanced up at him with a curious look, which the rabbit returned with the biggest grin he had given all day.

"... Some days, I just _hate _her."

There was a short pause, before both brothers just suddenly laughed together, at the antics of their older sister.

* * *

**Eight Months Later...**

* * *

After that night, the two made it official. Oswald officially moved in and the spare room became his, full force. Minnie then helped them shop for clothes, and together, the three of them made the bedroom fitting for the lucky rabbit. Throughout his illness, however, he had lost even more weight, making Mickey worry. Slowly, but surely, however, Oswald became healthier, gaining back a little bit of the weight that he had lost, but Mickey sometimes feared he wasn't at a healthy weight yet.

Together, they grew accustomed to sharing a roof again. They fell into a rhythm, as Oswald got a job, Mickey got a raise, and they just enjoyed each other's company.

* * *

... The phone rang.

"Oswald, can... can you get that...!" came the voice of Mickey Mouse from the attic. He had been cleaning out after the two brothers had discovered some of their dad's old stuff in it. Since then, Amelia asked if they had his old photo albums, so Mickey had decided to check it out. The ladder that currently was his only link back to the floor then suddenly fell to the ground in a loud clang, and the mouse's head popped out of the hole in the ceiling. "... Oh. Um, now, please! Then, uh... then come save me!"

The rabbit, who had been watching the news from one of the armchairs, was currently listening to the newscaster detailing the disappearance of a local child. With a slight frown on his face from the news, he looked over at the phone next to him and picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Who is it!" came Mickey's voice from somewhere up above him, before the caller could even speak.

"_Hello, Oswald? It's me, Minnie. Is Mickey home?_"

"He's currently stuck in the attic. Did you want me to save him?" He gave his brother a teasing grin as he did this, causing the mouse to blush. The exchange only made the rabbit chuckle a little.

"_Oh, dear! Is everything alright?! Please do...!_"

The rabbit replied with another chuckle, and then putting down the phone carefully on the side table. He then got up, fixed his loose shirt, then picked up the ladder, placing it against the hole in the ceiling. "Come on down, little brother. Your sweetheart's on the phone."

Mickey scurried down the ladder quickly, causing it to fall onto the ground again, and rushed to the phone. "Hi... Hi... Hiya... Hiya, M-Minn!"

Oswald opted to not listen to the sickeningly sweet conversation that erupted, as he picked up the ladder and turned off the television. He glanced out the window to see their neighbour, Goofy, fighting with his mailbox. It was pretty humourous and led to Goofy somehow ending up with his rearend stuck inside the mailbox and the letters he had received in his hat. One shoe had wound up on the roof and the other in a garbage can. Max rushed out of the house immediately to save his father. Oswald shook his head at the sight, then turned to see Mickey hang up the phone.

"... That was a quick one."

"Well, uh, she was... she was asking if... if it was alright for... for... for her to... to come over for... for supper," Mickey explained with a distant smile. "I told her it was fine..." Honestly, the dreamy look in Mickey's face was priceless and Oswald couldn't help but grin.

"You two are so adorable together, you might make me die from sugar overdose," Oswald joked, with a chuckle. "I mean, seriously. She makes your stutter _worse._"

"She - She does not!" Mickey tried to protest.

"_Oh, well, uh... uh she was... she was asking if... if it was alright for, for, for..._" Oswald repeated in a high-pitched tone. He then broke out into laughter. "You repeated 'for' three times, Mick. She makes you so nervous, it's cute."

Oswald watched as Mickey fell into a trance of daydreaming about Minnie. He laughed at the sight as he returned to the television, turning it on. They were still talking about that child. Instantly, Oswald's good mood was destroyed. He hoped that kid was safe.

* * *

"_Young Marco the cat disappeared three days ago after leaving school to head home. Parents and teachers everywhere are dumbfounded at his sudden disappearance, and think its connected to the similar disappearances that have been happening around the old Argente de Champagne manor..._"


	2. In Which A Little Girl Dies

**Brother, Take Me Home **

**EPILOGUE**

**-Present Day-**

* * *

It was summer.

Mickey loved Summer. His sister, Amelia, loved Winter. His brother, Oswald, loved Fall and Spring, but hated the other two. He always thought it was funny, how the three of them were so different. He remembered as a child he always questioned why his older brother was a rabbit, when the rest of the family was very clearly mice. When he learned why, he felt his family had a bond stronger than any other.

Currently, Mickey wasn't outside enjoying the season. Instead, he was sitting in his couch watching the news report.

Three children in a row... in the past two months. This was a record.

Over the past 150 years, gradually, and over time, children would just suddenly go missing while they were outside playing. There'd never be any witnesses, because none of these children had been supervised when it occurred, and all of them appeared to wander off when it happened. It usually happened once or twice over the course of five months. Mothers everywhere would tell their children to stay in the yard, to never wander off, to never talk to strangers that looked suspicious.

Mickey, Oswald and Amelia had grown up with the words, "Wander away and we'll never find you. Stay in the yard where we can see you, and never leave it." It usually ended with glares toward the boys, who had a tendency to break the rules.

That one was never broken.

Mickey's best friends, Donald and Goofy, had told him the urban legends that would stem off of these happenings. The main site that gained all the children's main suspicions was the creepy abandoned manor that sat on the hill outside of Toon Town, just about fifteen minutes away driving. Conveniently, it had been abandoned for 150 years.

Creepily, Mickey had a perfect view of it from his attic window.

Because he grew up with Amelia and Oswald, older siblings that should get trophies for being the most protective older siblings on the _planet_, Mickey hadn't really been allowed to stray far from their shadows. Looking back on it, that was was probably what made him develop that stutter, what made him the shy and quiet mouse that he was today, with his loud and rambunctious friends. He didn't mind being quiet and stuttery, but... sometimes it was hard to get his point across.

Eventually, Mickey just turned off the television. He was tired of hearing about these disappearances, and it made him worry. He had two little nephews, Mortimer and Ferdinand Fieldmouse, Amelia's sons. He didn't want them to be next, he loved those boys...

"Hey, I'm home with the groceries!" came a sudden voice.

Mickey's thoughts snapped away from the news headline he had just heard about to see his older brother coming in carrying four grocery bags. He rushed up immediately to help, grabbing one from each hand.

"Sorry I'm a bit late, there was a long line for whatever reason..." Oswald continued, slamming the door closed using a foot. "Anything happen while I was gone? Any phone calls?"

"Just... just Amelia," Mickey replied, helping him bring in the groceries. "... She was... she was asking if... if we could watch her boys for... for a weekend."

"Oh? When?" the rabbit asked in reply, putting milk in the fridge. As he did this, he took out the older carton, which he glanced at the side for a moment before dumping the contents down the drain.

"In... In two weeks, I think... She's going to call be-beforehand." Mickey, meanwhile, was placing the bread on the counter. He paused for a moment before deciding to bring it up. "Um... Another kid disappeared."

Oswald perked up instantly, his ears going completely straight. "Wh-what?!"

"You remember Ha-harriet?"

"Harriet? You mean the little puppy down the street? She lives next to Clara?"

Mickey slowly nodded. "It-it... It was her."

"You have got to be kidding me..." Oswald looked down then, at the tiles. "She was such a sweetheart..."

"What I-I'm concerned about is... is this is the third one in t-two months, Oswald..." Mickey continued, as he put some cans away. "I'm worried about the t-twins..."

"I am too, Mickey," Oswald replied slowly. "I am, too."

* * *

"Oh, Minnie, it's dreadful!" exclaimed Daisy, rushing up to Minnie and draping herself over her shoulders. "Just when the new girl comes in, little Harriet goes missing!"

"Harriet?" Minnie asked, standing up instantly. "Little Harriet is gone? Oh my goodness!"

"It happened this morning!" stated Clarabelle Cow from the cash, helping a customer. "She went outside to play, and never came back!"

"They expected her back at lunch, but she never came!" Daisy continued. "Oh, it's so depressing..."

Minnie turned to consider the new girl at the boutique, who had so far been keeping out of the gossip the girls tended to spur at a moment's notice. She really was a nice girl, and Minnie wanted nothing more than to become the girl's new best friend. There was, however, deep down inside, another intent inside of her hopes and dreams of befriending the new girl. She felt that Mickey's brother, Oswald, needed a new flame. A new torch. A new love.

She knew all about why her boyfriend's brother had suddenly moved in to his place over night. The poor rabbit had been skin and bones once he had finally recovered from the illness he had picked up on the streets, and she kept hoping he'd look healthier whenever she saw him next. Sure, he was healthier now, but... But he was still a bit too skinny for her liking.

She wasn't even sure why she was thinking about her dastardly plans to get Oswald hitched right now, when the sweetest little pup in town had gone missing and would probably never be seen again. Then, it clicked. She was trying to distract herself.

So distract herself she was going to do. She approached the new girl.

"Hello there," she started, as the new girl turned to look at her. "I'm not sure we've been properly introduced. I'm Minnie Mouse."

The new girl quickly finished putting away the products she was holding before smiling up at Minnie. She stood up to be eye level with her, fixed the pink skirt she was wearing, then held out a hand.

"Hello, Minnie, it's nice to meet you. I'm Ortensia."

* * *

_The End_

_..._

_For now._

* * *

_Stay tuned for the next one-shot installment to be released:_

_**Memorial of Mother**_


End file.
